BirdEyes supports ecosystem conservation through research, monitoring, capacity building, and local partnerships. Through the Climate Resilient East Atlantic Flyway (CREAF) programme, it also works to strengthen the resilience of migratory birds and local communities in West Africa.
A global flyway that connects to local communities
Millions of migratory birds, including Red Knots, Eurasian Spoonbills, and Bar-tailed Godwits, depend on the wetlands, estuaries, and mangroves of the East Atlantic Flyway. These ecosystems also support local communities by providing food and livelihoods. In the Bijagós Archipelago, indigenous people have lived closely with nature for generations, creating strong connections between cultural traditions and conservation.
In the Bijagós Archipelago of Guinea-Bissau, a group of 88 islands and islets, intertidal flats are central to the lives of the indigenous Bijagó people. Women, the primary shellfish harvesters, provide a key source of household protein and safeguard bivalve species used in important traditional ceremonies. Through generations of observation and stewardship, they have developed extensive local ecological knowledge and are often the first to detect changes in shellfish populations. Their traditional practices, including the protection of sacred sites and seasonal harvesting restrictions, function as conservation measures that help ecosystems recover, sustain livelihoods, and preserve vital habitat for migratory shorebirds.
A flyway under pressure
Climate change, habitat loss, pollution, overfishing, and coastal development threaten the East Atlantic Flyway. These pressures affect not only wetlands but also the people and cultures that depend on them. In 2025, partners launched the CREAF programme with support from the German International Climate Initiative (IKI). Together, they work to strengthen climate resilience, conservation, and sustainable livelihoods across key African flyway sites.
The Glocal approach
As one of the key partners, BirdEyes leads the Monitoring, Research and Capacity Building Work Package (WP1) within the CREAF programme. It works closely with local partners to monitor ecosystems and support locally led conservation. The programme also promotes training and knowledge exchange across the region.
BirdEyes studies how environmental change affects migratory shorebirds and indigenous communities at both local and flyway scales. It uses GPS trackers to follow key shorebird species, including Eurasian Whimbrels and Bar-tailed Godwits. The team also equips women harvesting resources on intertidal flats with GPS devices to document their movements and resource use. Researchers monitor habitat conditions, food availability, and climate variables across the study sites, while also documenting local ecological knowledge and perceptions of environmental change. By combining these data sources, BirdEyes supports conservation and management efforts across West Africa and the East Atlantic Flyway.
Building on research, partnerships, and local knowledge
The CREAF programme builds on years of research and collaboration in Mauritania, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau. BirdEyes researchers Hacen El-Hacen and Mohamed Henriques lead this work in the region. Both researchers come from indigenous communities and bring valuable local knowledge to the programme. Their experience helps strengthen partnerships between the University of Groningen and West African institutions.
By combining science with local knowledge, these partnerships support both people and ecosystems. They help protect migratory birds while strengthening the communities that depend on coastal wetlands.
